The present invention relates to contact lenses and, in particular, to an improved ballast, preferably a prism ballast, for toric lenses that imposes a low-torque rotational correction on the lens.
Astigmatism is a defect in the eye that is corrected by a lens with a non-spherical prescription. The prescription, which is usually expressed as cylinder on the patient's prescription order, causes at least a portion of the surface of the lens to have the shape of the toric segment. A torus is a surface or object defined by the rotation of a circle about an axis other than its own. For example, a donut has a toroidal shape. The toric portion of the lens is a small oval-shaped section of the toroid, with a major axis and a minor axis. As a result of this non-axi-symmetric configuration, proper rotational orientation of the lens must be maintained. It should be noted that other lenses, for instance that provide bifocal or multi-focal correction, are non-axi-symmetric and thus have a particular orientation outside of which performance suffers.
Astigmatism is often associated with other refractive errors such as myopia or hypermetropia, and so toric contact lenses often also provide some spherical correction, negative or positive. While the concave or posterior surface of a contact lens generally has a spherical configuration, where the lens is used to correct astigmatism the posterior surface will usually have the toric configuration. That is, the curved portion of the posterior surface of the lens has a major axis and a minor axis. The radius of curvature of the posterior surface of the lens is larger in the major-axis direction than in the minor-axis direction. The major diameter of the toric surface is generally smaller in diameter than the overall lens, and is cut into a starting spherical base curve. Additionally, the anterior and/or posterior surface(s) of the optical zone may include a spherical portion that contributes to a distance refractive correction. The spherical correction is typically provided on the exterior or anterior surface. Of course, certain prescriptions provide the toric curve on the anterior surface, with the spherical correction also on the anterior surface, or on the posterior surface.
While spectacle lenses are held rigidly in place by a frame, toric contact lenses must be stabilized so that the cylindrical correction is stabilized in substantially the correct position on the eye. Soft contact lenses which had been designed for use to correct astigmatism are well-known in the art. Generally, these lenses rely on some type of ballasting or stabilizing method to cause the lens to be properly oriented in the eye. The ballast is typically provided on a contact lens by incorporating structures either on the front surface or on the back surface, or spread between both surfaces. Such orientation structures utilize eyelid forces generated during blinking. As the eyelids wipe across the contact lens, they tend to squeeze the lens down and against the cornea and displace elevated surface features.
A so-called “wedge” or “prism” ballast may be utilized wherein the lower or inferior portion of the lens is relatively thicker than the upper or superior portion. As a result, the upper eyelid, which undergoes greater movement than the lower eyelid, and thus exerts greater influence on the contact lens, tends to displace the inferior portion of the contact lens downward, inherently rotating the contact lens over the cornea into the intended orientation. Alternatively, the lens may incorporate a so-called “periballast” (short for peripheral ballast) stabilization that involves a ballast region surrounding but excluding the central optic.
For examples of prism ballast, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,573,774, 5,125,728, and 5,020,898, and PCT Publication No. WO 98/45749. Another orientation structure for contact lenses includes the provision of thin superior and inferior zones relative to a thicker central zone. Such structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,095,878, and 5,650,837. Alternatively, channels or ridges may be provided on the contact lens, such as seen in PCT publication No. AU 92/00290.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,898 describes a toric contact lens with ballast distributed outside the anterior optical zone such that the ballast thickens from the top of the lens to two points of maximum thickness proximate the lower peripheral edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,728 also describes a ballast portion that increases from a superior part of the lens to a maximum thickness in the lower periphery on each side thereof. The maximum thickness of the ballast is located as close as possible to the lens edge so that these portions fit over the peripheral cornea and conjunctiva to limit lens rotation. A ballast-free corridor of least resistance is provided in the vertical mid-section of the lens above and below the central optical area. The patent asserts that the ballast-free corridor in combination with the thicker ballast and thicker portions close to the lens periphery provides an improved stabilization mechanism.
Finally, PCT Publication No. WO 98/45749 describes a ballast lens with a prism through the optical zone. The anterior and posterior optical zone diameters are selected such that when combined to form a lens, the thickness at the superior and inferior junctions of the optical zone on the anterior face is controlled.
In addition to the relative ability of a lens to orient consistently on cornea, other factors affect the performance of the various stabilization structures. For example, some structures are better than others with respect to one or more of the following: reducing the overall thickness across the toric contact lens for the physiological benefit of the wearer, ease of manufacture, reducing the lens parameter inventory, clinical performance including wearer comfort and consistency of fitting between refractive powers. With respect to wearer comfort, in general, the thinner the lens and the smoother the surface, the more comfort will be provided. In addition, it is known to provide a periphery on the lens that is relatively thin and shaped for added comfort.
The principal limitation of existing toric contact lens designs is that orientation is highly variable and/or uncomfortable, for a given design, between individual toric lens wearers. Besides the lens design and lens material, patient factors also influence the orientation of a toric contact lens on the eye and contribute to this variability in lens orientation. Patient factors such as blink characteristics and ocular parameters such as eyelid, corneal, and conjuctival shape and anatomy may result in undesired interaction (for example, asymmetry) or insufficient interaction with the contact lens. However, many of the problems associated with prior art mechanisms may be attributed to problems with failure of the stabilization mechanism to maximize eyelid interaction and reduce the variability of lens orientation between individuals.
Despite much effort in this area, there is still a need for a toric contact lens that has more consistent stabilization features between individuals.